Saturday, January 12, 2008

For those of us who are not Jayamateur artisan bakers. Easy, impressive (yes, it does look and taste like "real" bread, even slices well too), and very tasty...

I threw this bread together yesterday for a playgroup afternoon I was hosting and served it to rave reviews. Most people ate it with the sun-dried tomato cream cheese I put out, but it was also really good with just a bit of butter (or for that matter with the mango chutney I spread on the leftover end this afternoon).

Ingredients

1 standard size (12oz / 33oml) can of beer or malt beer - ordinary Maccabi seems to work best if you can get it

3 cups flour

1 packet (12g or approximately 2tsp) baking powder

1 tbl sugar

1 tsp salt

Optional:

"Something" to throw into the dough. I used about 1/4 cup of chopped black olives. Chopped nuts would also work well.

"Something else" to sprinkle over the top - I used sunflower seeds

Method

Mix everything together (took about 2 minutes in my stand mixer).

Pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake 30 minutes at 350F (180C).

Note: I accidentally used a larger size can of beer but other than having to bake the loaf significantly longer (which is probably why the top cracked) and having it smell slightly of beer you'd never notice. I like a forgiving recipe...

Hmm. I may have to print this out after a serious rethink. I'm just back from the UK where a large loaf of bread is 79 pence. With the current exchange rate that's about $1.60. The bread I buy at the supermarket [the one kind that everyone eats] is $3.89 unless it's on offer.Cheers

Around the Island Photography

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No, not a tropical island. My kitchen island, where my life happens.
Fine art, nature and travel photography from around Israel and around the world, with a side helping of musings and family life from a mom of two just outside of Tel Aviv, Israel.